This Chicago Art Institute Wedding Was Filled with Over-the-Top Flower Arrangements

For their wedding at the Art Institute of Chicago, Tamiya (Miya) Beathea (43 and president of a philanthropic online boutique) and Brian Dubin (54 and president of an international trading company) aimed for a lush, French-inspired reception. “Our vision was to create an indoor botanic garden,” Miya says. “We wanted a formal, timeless and joyful wedding.” They filled the museum’s airy modern wing with trees, dusty foliage and thousands of textured white blooms, plus giant paper roses on the chuppah. During the ceremony, the couple broke glass in honor of Brian’s Jewish beliefs and jumped the broom, symbolic of Miya’s African-American heritage, to signify a fresh start.

As for the day's floral arrangements, Miya carried king protea, scabiosa, thistle, lavender and heather. Meanwhile, ranunculus, king protea, peonies, delphinium and Queen Anne’s lace topped tables. To add to the day's aesthetic, a vintage-inspired lounge gave guests a place to relax. 

During cocktail hour, the couple served Crucian rum punch, a tribute to Miya’s St. Croix roots. The Dubin Dessert Bar served up mini red velvet cupcakes, cheesecake lollipops, macarons, chocolate chip cookies and pistachio panna cotta. Miya repurposed the floral chuppah as a frame for their sweetheart table. The newlyweds cut into layers of lemon cake with strawberry buttercream and almond cake with salted caramel buttercream. At the end of the night, Miya and Brian led a dance troupe to the floor for a performance of traditional and contemporary African dances. “The dancers handed out African and Caribbean hats,” Miya says. “It was so much fun.”